Google, well, Google, and youâ€™ll find much evidence of a culture of collaboration in the corporationâ€™s workplace. Youâ€™ll also find a culture of fun.

Googlers, as they call themselves, â€œconsider each other not just colleagues, but friends and family, too,â€ according to their website. â€œWe play on Google sports teams together, have happy hours and throw each other birthday parties, baby showers and engagement celebrations â€“ we like spending time together and we have fun and celebrate successes in many different ways.â€

Over the years, those of us in management at The Voice-Tribune have studied Google and listened to what past and present Googlers have had to say about the companyâ€™s culture. Weâ€™ve adopted some of their practices and made them our own.

Lead Designer Joanna Hite Shelton.

When it comes to brainstorming stories, photo projects, events, even simple things like sales fliers, itâ€™s not unusual to find Voicers from every department collaborating together.

Sometimes, we spend lunch together outside of the office doing silly things, like skating on the faux ice at Fourth Street Live in costumes (or tutus) or playing bumper cars and Dance Dance Revolution at Gattiland.

We get together during off hours, stay connected via Facebook and Twitter, attend one anotherâ€™s celebrations and involve each other in our outside interests.

On occasion, some or all of us will participate in impromptu photo shoots with Chief Photographer Chris Humphreys, just because. Or, weâ€™ll all stop to watch a crazy YouTube video, listen to a new song or play a game of Cards Against Humanity (donâ€™t ask) before leaving for the day.

We work hard. We have to. We have a small staff with ever-increasing duties. But, taking time to play â€“ in short increments, not all day â€“ gives us a quick reprieve, generates creativity and it keeps us from taking ourselves more seriously than we should.

Copy Editor Sophie Hottinger.

Perhaps one of our favorite ways to collectively play is designing a popular movie or television promotional poster using the faces of Voicers and their friends, like the ones pictured here. We hope you enjoy â€“ we sure did.

Contact the writer at angie@voice-tribune.com or @angiefenton on Twitter.

About the Author

[gravatar email="angie@voice-tribune.com" size="60" alt="Angie Fenton" class="user-picture"]
Angie Fenton is Managing Editor of The Voice-Tribune, a Blue Equity company. She is also an entertainment correspondent for WHAS11's new morning show, "Great Day Live!", which debuted August 22 on Louisville's ABC affiliate. Additionally, Angie is an entertainment correspondent for the Saturday Morning Show with Ron 'n' Mel Fisher on 84WHAS (840 AM) and has served in the same capacity for Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks; Breeders' Cup; and Circuit of the Americas during the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in November 2012. Angie also serves as an emcee, host, voiceover professional and on-camera commercial talent.
Angie has a bachelorâ€™s and masterâ€™s in English from Central Michigan University and began her career as an adjunct professor at her alma mater. She is the youngest of five -- four of whom were adopted, including Angie, and none of whom are biologically related. She is also a Michigan native who moved to Kentucky in June 2002. Angie is owned by two dogs -- Herbie and Yoda -- and feels lucky to have loved and been loved by many more, including Pooch, Jessie, Onyx, Jack and Big Bud, who took his last breath on Christmas Day 2012.